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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29663025">Light of my Life</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BangBangBeefKeef/pseuds/Bang%20Bang%20Beef%20Keef'>Bang Bang Beef Keef (BangBangBeefKeef)</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BangBangBeefKeef/pseuds/Chilly%20Super%20Punk'>Chilly Super Punk (BangBangBeefKeef)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Klance Request Line Series [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Bob is still a jerk, Competition, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Game Shows, Gameshow AU, Hijinks &amp; Shenanigans, Lance flirts with others but falls for Keith, M/M, Minor Hunk/Shay (Voltron), fake dating au</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:54:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,127</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29663025</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BangBangBeefKeef/pseuds/Bang%20Bang%20Beef%20Keef, https://archiveofourown.org/users/BangBangBeefKeef/pseuds/Chilly%20Super%20Punk</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When the dating gameshow Keith and Lance work on is down one couple right before the show, the two of them need to step in and pretend to be in a relationship.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Keith/Lance (Voltron)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Klance Request Line Series [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2081907</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>307</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Klance: Into the Multiverse, Klasix Master Collection</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Light of my Life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peekaboodesu/gifts">Peekaboodesu</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Gift work for Peekaboodesu!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well I slept with your best friend!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So did I!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate you more!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance lowers his headphones when he hears the screaming. “What is that ruckus?” Lance looks to his fellow cameraman Matt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is one of our couples breaking up thirty minutes before we go live.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, what?” gasps Lance, looking up to the stage where their Producer Shiro is trying to calm the couple down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s fruitless because the woman storms off the set, followed shortly by the man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably for the best,” says Matt. “Better they leave now than blow up on live TV.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But doesn’t that leave us down one couple?” asks Lance. “If they’re gone we’re down to two and the show’s format is three couples...”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Solid math, Sharpshooter,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>comes Keith’s voice through Lance’s headphones. Lance earned himself that nickname with his astounding camera work. It’s supposed to be a compliment, but when Keith says it, it sounds like an insult.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stay out of my ears, Mullet,” snaps Lance, into his headset.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, circle up!” calls out Shiro, gesturing for the crew to join him onstage.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Crew meeting,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> says Keith’s voice from his headset.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No da-doy!” huffs Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Wasn’t talking to you,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> says Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you take off your headset when you’re speaking to someone else?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Why don’t you take yours into the bathroom again?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was one time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance!” calls out Shiro, gesturing for him to come near. “Let’s hustle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance points at his headset. “Keith is distracting me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith is already on his way,” says Shiro, giving a wave. Lance turns to see Keith heading down through the audience seating, stepping on the backs of the chairs rather than using the steps like a normal person. Although, Pidge is using the steps and they’re not exactly normal either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Booth dwellers incoming,” says Matt, but it’s just a good natured rib. His rivalry with his sibling is for show. Not like Lance and Keith who are true rivals.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“How am I beating you to this meeting?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> snarks Keith through his headset. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re literally three feet from the stage.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Keith looks over his shoulder and smirks as he jumps up on the stage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance frowns and follows, joining the crew in a circle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here’s the situation,” says Shiro, addressing the group. “We are thirty-minutes until air and we are down one couple. I need ideas and I need good ones.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The audience is about to be let in,” says the makeup girl, Romelle. “Can we pull a new couple from there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need a bio video for the couple,” says Pidge. “Can’t with randos.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” says Shiro, nodding. “If it’s a couple we already have footage of -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could splice something together quickly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro’s gaze sweeps around the circle. “So… who on the crew is dating right now?” Everyone shifts, staying silent. “Really no one? Doesn’t have to be romantic, hook-ups would work.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you allowed to ask us that?” questions Matt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if there’s someone, I’d like to hook up with?” says Lance. He shoots the finger guns in Romelle’s direction. She opens her mouth to rebuff him. “Hold on,” says Lance, as someone else catches his eye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>High heels, power suit, white hair down to waist - she’s a vision.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m a couple with whoever that is,” says Lance, pointing at the woman approaching their group.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, not today,” Shiro mutters under his breath, then louder he says, “Everyone, this is the new CEO of the network, Ms. - um…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh shit, he forgot her name. We’re cancelled,” mutters Pidge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, we’re cancelled because we have twenty-six minutes until we’re live and we don’t have a third couple,” whispers Romelle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Allura is fine,” the woman says in a British accent. Lance is already envisioning taking her out for dinner later. “So what is this? Rallying the troops before showtime?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually we have a crisis because one of our couples broke up,” says Matt, bluntly and very much out of turn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But it’s fine,” says Shiro, quickly. “We’re just gonna fill that empty slot with a couple from our crew.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, well, I suppose that is alright as long as they are not in it to win it,” says Allura. She looks around the group and Lance gives her his best flirty smile. “So… who is the happy couple?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, Lance,” stutters Shiro, gesturing to him, “And, ummmm…” Lance watches as both Pidge and Matt lift a leg as if they’re going to step forward to volunteer, but then they step back instead, leaving Keith standing in front of them. “Keith! Excellent!” says Shiro.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith’s eyes widen and he looks to both sides to find he’s now standing ahead, alone. Meanwhile, Lance is trying to get his mouth to work to form an objection.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! Well, lovely couple,” says Allura, looking at each of them in turn. “And honestly, same sex couples are great the for the show’s ratings so that works out even better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, this leaves the crew short staffed,” says Pidge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, darn,” says Lance. “I gotta operate the camera one so…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh!” says Romelle, raising her hand. “I’ve always wanted to try camera work!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re hired,” says Shiro, “So that just leaves lights and sound.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t mind stepping in,” says Allura. “I actually came up from working in the booth.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You went from gremlin work to CEO?” gasps Pidge. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro claps. “Okay, let’s get to work!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The others hustle off leaving Lance and (his apparently new boyfriend) Keith with Pidge and Matt lingering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A literal goddess visits the set and I have to pretend to be dating this douche canoe?” grumbles Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think I want to pretend to be a couple with you?” asks Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what was that thing about same sex couples bringing in better ratings? Don’t you think it’s super offensive of us to pretend we’re not straight for ratings?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think he’s straight?” asks Pidge, pointing at Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think you’re straight?” asks Matt, looking at Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Lance can figure out what the siblings are talking about Shiro comes storming back over. “Hey! I said let’s get to work! Pidge, I need a couple’s bio video. Matt, maybe train Romelle on camera because right now she is pointing at the audience who are already filing in.” Lance opens his mouth to argue against this whole fake couple with Keith arrangement, but Shiro stops him. “Lance, I don’t want to hear it. You and Keith are in love and that’s the end of it. Now go do your own makeup because our makeup woman is currently riding a very expensive camera like a mechanical bull, excuse me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*******</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Man, the one chance I have to look directly at Romelle’s cleavage in a professional setting and instead I’m doing my own makeup.” complains Lance, blending in his foundation while gazing at his beauty in the vanity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re disgusting,” says Keith, spinning around in a makeup chair.. “You should be fired every day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should be punched every day,” says Lance, he leans back and examines his work. “Ugh. Twenty minutes is not enough time to minimize my pores. You are so lucky you did your makeup at home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m… not… wearing any makeup.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck me… you just look like that?” gasps Lance. “You’re not even wearing mascara?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that what you’re putting on?” asks Keith, pointing at the BB cream Lance is holding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance shakes his head. “I don’t know how to respond to that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He doesn’t have to respond because a PA interrupts them. “Hey, so like, Shiro told me to escort you to the set and stuff and like, wanted me to remind you to like, be in love or whatever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, whatever is right,” says Lance. “I’m a good actor, but I’m not that good. At least this will help me get that SAG card.””</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At least you wanna be on TV,” grumbles Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How can you not? Being famous is like the best thing in the world.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, can you just like, come,” says the PA, hitching a thumb towards the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance heads out with them towards the set. “Fuck,” he mutters, taking out his phone. “I just realized I need to text my whole family and tell them not to watch this episode or they’re going to be very confused as to why I suddenly have a boyfriend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your family actually watches the show?” asks Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mam</span>
  <span>á </span>
  <span>watches every episode. She’s insanely proud of me. Hey, you should text your family t too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have a family.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait,” says Lance, pressing a hand to Keith’s chest to get him to stop walking. “No family at all?” It’s so sad…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have a dog,” says Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, boyfriends,” yells the PA. “Shiro wants to know which one of you is going in the box?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They share a look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*******</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The stage lights come on and the audience is cued to clap. Coran, the assistant host (or whatever his title is), does the show’s intro. “Welcome back to another episode of…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The audience screams along, “Light! Of! My! Life!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From his booth, Coran says into the mic, “The game show where couples compete to prove their love and win an all expenses paid vacation! And here’s your host! Bob!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bob scoots onto the stage on his rascal. He’s wearing his signature style that he’s been wearing since the seventies when this show debuted. This look includes bell bottoms and his disco collar. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello everyone!” says Bob. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello Bob!” the audience yells.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s meet our contestants. Please welcome, Rolo Owens Rolo comes from...” Bob rattles off facts as a hippy looking guy with a goatee walks onto the stage, waving at the audience. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance has been standing backstage with that guy for the last five minutes. He smells like organic deodorant a.k.a. B.O. Of course that smell won’t translate to television, just as the viewers at home will never know Lance smells like morancan oil, woody and rich, or that Keith smells like sage and citrus… not, not that Lance enjoys that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And next we have Hunk Garrett,” says Bob. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so nervous,” Hunks says to Lance before turning and walking out on the stage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hunk hails from Lotofoga in Samoa and currently lives in Cincinnati. He’s a chef and owns his own restaurant with his wife.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice to be here, Bob,” says Hunk, leaning down to give Bob a hug hello.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, we have a hugger. Last, but not least we have Lance McClain Santos.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance puts on his winning smile and struts confidently onstage. He’s worked on this show for years. It’s a second home to him so there’s no way he could be nerv --</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoa!” yells the audience as Lance trips and faceplants onstage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m up! I’m fine!” says Lance, popping back up to stand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure?” says Bob, scooting over to where Lance is. “That was a nasty spill.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not nasty,” says Lance, shaking his head. “Barely felt it. Hey, isn’t this the, uh, part of the show where you tell us how the game works?” Lance laughs nervously. “Not that I’m an expert who works here or anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance looks to see Shiro standing between the cameras, waving his hands and shaking his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, it is,” says Bob. “Looks like we’ve got a bit of an eager beaver. So here on Light of My Life the game is simple. Our contestants and their paramores compete in a series of challenges to win an all expenses paid vacation. As a couple scores points, their piece moves up the looooove mountain.” Bob sweeps his arm towards the ten foot tall plywood 2D mountain with the purple, red, and yellow figures shaped like a man and a woman holding hands. Those figures slide up the mountain to show what it will look like. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not only can they score points through challenges, but our audience, in studio or at home, is able to give them point boost by texting a purple, blue, or yellow heart eh-mah-gee,” says Bob, mispronouncing ‘emoji’ like a boomer, “to the number on the screen whenever a couple is extra adorable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On cue, the audience goes, “Awwww.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Standard texting rates apply plus $1.49 per text,” says Bob, quickly, then normally he says, “The first couple to reach the peak, gets to light the lamp of love!” Bob gestures to the giant plexiglass heart that hangs at the back of the stage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The audience claps. The figures on the plywood mountain lower back down and reset.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you say we get started with our first challenge? Lance, because you’re already right here, why don’t you start off with our first game? Take Her Hand!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now that Lance is thinking about it… this fifty year old gameshow does have some heteronormative game names…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Three giant boxes with doors are rolled out. Each door has a hole where the doorknob would be with a hand sticking out of it instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coran, tell them how we play!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Our contestants have to pick out their paramore’s hand by feel only.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You heard Coran,” says Bob. “Let’s put on those blindfolds!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance pulls his production-provided blindfold out of his back pockets. He hesitates and wonders if the production assistants ever wash these things. He’s probably about to get pinkeye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Step forward, Lance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance takes a couple of confident steps forward and -</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoa!” yells the audience and Lance knocks into one of the boxes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oops, that was my fault folks,” says Bob. “Had him put on the blindfold too early. And they say I have trouble walking.” Bob honked the horn on his rascal to emphasize the joke at Lance’s expense.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The audience laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, I am eager to meet the person who would fall in love with such a clumsy dum-dum.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” cries Lance, turning to where he thinks Bob is.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance… find your love’s hand!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance huffs out a breath of air. He is not down with how Bob is talking about him, so he has to show him up by finding Keith’s hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first hand feels like a lady, so does the second hand, and the third. Damn, Keith must moisturize. Then again he’s always wearing those fingerless gloves, which must protect his skin and leave them hella supple. Lance could sure use those gloves to help him figure out which hand is Keith’s right now, but they make the contestants remove all accessories like rings and stuff so there's no clues… unless those tight gloves leave indents in the skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Running out of time here, Lance,” warns Bob.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance runs his hand up to the wrist of the third and feels for the tiny indent in the skin…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This one! This is the hand!” says Lance urgently as he feels the indent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, Lance seems pretty confident about door number three. Please remove your blindfold and tell us the name of your lady love.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance tugs down his blindfold “Well, uh, he’s…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you forget her name? Clumsy and forgetful. What a catch! Amirite, folks?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! I am a catch and do remember his name!” Lance grabs hold of the door and throws it open. “And </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>name is Keith!” Inside the box Keith leans against the side with his arms crossed like he’s oh-so-cool. “That’s right! We are male lovers! Yes, homo!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This doesn’t get the audience reaction Lance was hoping for. There are neither gasps nor claps. Though someone coughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith rolls his eyes, pushes up to stand and struts out of the box, ignoring the hand Lance offers to him. Okay, he is bad at this acting thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, Rolo and Hunk, it’s your turn.” Hunk and Rolo head over and pull down their blindfolds. “Find the hand of your paramore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good luck,” says Lance sarcastically. “It’s not that easy to - oh! You’re done already.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunk and Rolo open the doors to their partner’s boxes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hunk what is your wife’s name?” asks Bob.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is Shay,” says Hunk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi everyone. So happy to be here,” says Shay. She’s got the same sweet energy that Hunk gives off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And Rolo, who is your girlfriend?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is Nyma,” says Rolo, offering a hand to her. She steps out, and Lance sees a gorgeous tall woman with dyed-blond hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Helloooo Nyma,” says Lance, outloud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lovely to meet you Nyma and Shay,” says Bob. “Everyone recognized their paramore’s hand so we’re starting off on the board with everyone getting a point.” He gestures to the plywood mountain and the figures all move up a tiny bit. “And we will be right back after the break with the Match Game. Stick around!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Clear,” calls out Shiro.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where did they find you two?” asks Bob, looking at Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you talking about? I’m Lance. I’ve been your cameraman for five years. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t ring a bell,” says Bob, driving off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t blame him for not remembering me,” says Keith. “Since I’m a booth dweller, but him not knowing you when you stand ten feet in front of him… ouch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shuddup, Mullet! The guy is like hundred years old. He probably can’t see that far.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you two at least try to act like a couple?” says Shiro, coming over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are. What else can we do?” asks Keith, sounding defensive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could actually touch Lance or make eye contact with him,” says Shiro.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s fair. Even off air, Keith is always looking off to the side instead of making eye contact.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What does it matter?” asks Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The CEO of the Network is here,” says Shiro. “Please try to make the show look good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But the show isn’t good and that’s not on me. The set is from the seventies, the games are moronic, not to mention how heteronormative the show is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I noticed that one too,” says Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bob asks the men what they do for a living, but never the women, as if they don’t have jobs. If I were running the show -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you’re not Keith,” says Shiro, interrupting him. “Nothing is going to change Light of my Life after fifty years on air. We just need to get through this episode. No more of this no-love-lost between you thing. Act like boyfriends!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>******</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The stage setup gets swapped out to include three love seats: purple, red, and yellow. Keith and Lance are assigned red. Keith sits down and Lance moves in close for comfort.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you mind?” asks Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re supposed to be a couple.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Welcome back to Light of my Life,” says Bob.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance goes to put his arm around the warm body beside him, but then he realizes it’s Keith and withdraws it, then he remembers they’re pretending to be a couple so he puts it back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doing okay there, Lance?” ask Bob.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never better, Bob.” Keith, of course, is completely stiff beside Lance, arms crossed tightly over his chest, frown on his face. “The mister is just a little camera shy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, that is a cute couple.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The audience goes “Awwwww” and Lance thinks he’s done something adorable, but when he glances at the mountain, it’s the yellow heart figure that inches up from audience awarded points. He looks over to Hunk and Shay and sees them cuddling all sweetly, holding hands, and playing with each other's fingers. Lance tries to take Keith’s hand and gets his wrist slapped away instead..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>******</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coran, tell them how the match game is played.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Our couples will be asked a series of questions about the other and have to write their answers down.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith bends down to pull the two whiteboards out for him and Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Each match gets you a point and moves our couple further up the mountain of love.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s get started with our first question,” says Bob. “Who is the most important person in your love’s life? Fella’s let’s answer for your ladies first. Plus Keith.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Great. Keith gets to be ‘plus Keith’ for the next hour minus commercials, because Bob and the whole show format is homophobic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith writes down his answer, then notices Lance isn’t writing anything down. He follows his gaze and sees Nyma is making flirty eyes with him over her whiteboard. Annoyed, Keith smacks Lance on the back of his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ow,” whines Lance then he suddenly remembers to write.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s see what we got,” says Bob. “Turn those boards around. Rolo wrote ‘me’ and Nyma wrote ‘Rolo’ so we have a match! Hunk wrote ‘me’ and Shay wrote ‘Hunk’ with a heart as the ‘u.’”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Awwwww!” goes the audience and up their figure moves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No one is that good natured,” mutters Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance, who did you say is the most important person in Keith’s life?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance turns around his board.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“His dog?” reads Bob, sounding confused. “Usually couples just -” Keith turns his board over to show that it reads ‘Kosmo (my dog)’. “Okay, the question specified the most important </span>
  <em>
    <span>person, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but looks like our Producer is going to allow these two dum-dums a point anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All three figures inch up the mountain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, ladies, and Keith,” says Bob. “Let us know who your man’s most important person is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They spin their boards around and write their answers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nyma says her, Shay says her, and Keith says… Lance’s mom? Well, fellas, are they right?” The rest of them turn their boards around. “Looks like we have matches across the board,” says Bob. “Nice to know Lance loves his mom and Keith loves his dog more than they love each other.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Lance can have another outburst, Bob moves on, “Next question, ladies… and Keith, what is your man’s dream for the future?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They write down their answers. This one Keith just happens to know so when Lance’s board and his own board say ‘become an actor,’ it's a match. Of course Hunk and Shay want to start a family and Nyma and Rolo want to get married, but at least him and Lance know one thing about each other. After… working five years together. Although, Keith is just a lowly booth dweller who spent more time looking at the back of Lance’s head than speaking to his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, fellas, what is your girl or Keith’s dream?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith writes down his answer then notices Lance isn’t writing anything. In fact, he’s looking over at Nyma again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith hits him to get his attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ow, what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s trying to distract you. Write your answer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance sticks out his tongue while he’s thinking. It’s a bit cute. It distracts Keith for a moment so when Bob starts speaking again it surprises him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s see those answers! Will you look at that, Rolo and Nyma and Hunk and Shay didn’t change their answers. Same goals, same life, perfect love.” The audience applauds. “And then there’s Keith and Lance. The question was what is Keith’s goal for the future. They both wrote the letters ‘idk’. I don’t know what that means, but it looks like our Producer is going to treat it as a match.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their figures move up, but Keith and Lance are still behind Hunk and Shay despite having the same number of right answers. Hunk and Shay are cute and winning points from audience approval.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith could care less. Lance isn’t his boyfriend anyway. Still, Lance keeps putting his arm around Keith and it keeps freaking Keith out… until he realizes it’s Lance and then it feels nice. Unfortunately, he keeps slapping his hand away before his brain can reason that holding Lance’s hand might be nice…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dammit, finding Lance attractive is really fucking annoying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hippos!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Purple!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Knives!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It sucks Bob keeps calling Lance forgetful because he seems to be able to recall information from every conversation they’ve ever had. They’re actually killing it at the match game as the other couples get a few answers wrong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith doesn’t think he’s got as good a memory as Lance, that’s for sure, but when he doesn’t know an answer, he just subtly peeks at Lance’s board, because he tilts it out anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, just as Keith is writing down ‘Die Hard’ as Lance’s favourite Holiday movie, he feels Lance climb into his lap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing?” hisses Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m trying to look cute,” says Lance, laying across his lap. “Those two are killing us in the adorable department.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So? You know we’re not actually trying to win, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s the principle of the thing, Keith! Give me one cheek kiss. Please?” whispers Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bob, is right, you are a dum-dum.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He called us both, dum-dums. He deserves to have our love shoved in his face. Fake love. Did I say fake love?” rambles Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ugh. He is a dum-dum, but he’s a beautiful dum-dum. Keith plants a quick kiss on Lance’s cheek and is annoyed by how much he enjoys it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Awwwwwww!” goes the audience and their figure moves up the mountain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Surprisingly, Keith and Lance have taken the lead,” says Bob. “Huh. I guess even a broken clock can be right twice in a day. We’ll see how long their luck holds out after this commercial break. Stick around.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Clear!” calls out Shiro. Lance climbs off of Keith’s lap. Keith feels the absence, but pushes that feeling away as he stands so the set can be reset for the next round.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you two to try, not take the lead,” scolds Shiro.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can’t help that we’re awesome,” says Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can’t have you win, okay?” explains Shiro.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll back off,” says Keith. “The trip is always to somewhere boring like Napa wine country anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good,” says Shiro, “because you really can’t win it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” says Lance, once Shiro has walked off. “Did you ever get that urge, ya know? When someone says you shouldn’t do something, you just really want to do it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Story of my life,” admits Keith. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But we should ignore that instinct now, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we’ll definitely ignore it now,” says Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unless, there’s like new information that motivates us to lean into this whole fake dating thing,” says Lance, looking at Keith, expectantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith shakes his head and adverts his eyes like he usually does to keep from staring too long at Lance. He’s really more comfortable with the back of Lance’s head. “Can’t think of anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Next challenge is the dance competition, but there’s no reason to really try.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I’ll… suppress my mad dance skills.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith chuckles. Lance can’t be serious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re back in five!” calls out Shiro.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>******</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Welcome back to Light of my Life,” says Bob. “Right now it's a close competition with Keith and Lance in a temporary lead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Temporary,” grumbles Lance, then he notices Shiro giving him a stern look. Oh right, temporary. Must suppress competitive side, natural charisma, and talent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coran, tell us about our next competition,” says Bob, throwing it to Coran in the assistant host booth or whatever. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The next challenge is our dance competition, Shake a Leg, where our audience decides the winner by giving our couples a point boost every time they impress them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Couples to the dance floor!” says Bob. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ‘dance floor’ is the same light up floor that’s been part of the show since the seventies. After hours, Lance and Matt turn on the lights and have dance parties on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a bit of a kerfuffle as Keith and Lance battle over who puts the hand on the waist and who puts the hand on the shoulder. Lance smacks Keith’s wrists in frustration.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Woomp woomp woomp!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Did their figure just move down the mountain? He’s never seen that happen before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The waist holder leads,” says Lance, firmly. The couples mics are always cut during the dance so he knows it’s safe to talk. “Are you going to lead?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” says Keith with a sigh, finally accepting Lance’s hand around his waist. The music starts. The same damn song for fifty years. Lance hopes the composer is still alive and collecting royalty cheques… Or his next of kin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am not a good dancer,” Keith confesses as Lance starts a simple two step.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s good. Then you’ll balance us out,” says Lance. Keith is looking off to the side as usual. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” says Lance, trying to draw Keith’s attention to himself. “You have to look me in the eye while we dance or how can I properly lead?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith’s eyes flash to Lance’s. They’re so bright and intense, it makes Lance uneasy. Yeah… uneasy is this feeling. Lance tries to joke away the discomfort one. “One rule though, Keith. You cannot fall in love with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe the lighted tile under Keith just happens to turn red at the same time, but Keith appears to blush. Then suddenly, Lance’s face feels hot too, so much so that he decides to spin Keith away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith, despite his claims that he can’t dance, is surprisingly light on his feet and very easy to lead. Everytime they are facing each other and make eye contact, it’s so uncomfortable that Lance feels inspired to spin Keith away only for those sparkling eyes to find him again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The song is easy to dance to, he’s heard it hundreds of times and, since Keith is their sound guy, so has he. They know every note, every beat. They glide around the floor as if possessed by the music, paying no mind to the other couples. Heck, Lance almost forgets they’re there… and that the cameras are there… and that Shiro is there glaring at them because they forgot to be bad at this. Lance doesn’t even remember that this is a competition until he twists Keith to press him against Lance’s chest perfectly in time with the ending note and the audience claps rouse him enough to look away from those eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looks like our audience has a clear favourite,” says Bob, “even if I wholeheartedly disagree with them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait what?” says Lance, looking around in a daze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re going to take a break with a word from our sponsors,” says Bob, “and to double check our point calculator is actually functioning properly. Stick around!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Clear,” announces Shiro. He steps up onto the stage, looking no less annoyed than last time. “What happened there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” asks Keith, back to averting his eyes (which is good for Lance because those things are like weapons) and crossing his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m talking about that,” says Shiro, pointing at the mountain that has Keith and Lance’s figure halfway up with the others a significant way behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I didn’t do that,” whines Keith, shoulders going up to his ears. “I’ve never danced before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is my fault” says Lance, directing this at Shiro. “I had more than enough talent for the both of us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not just how you dance. You two are being too…,” Shiro stops himself. “You’re not actually secretly dating, are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No!” says Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, nononononono,” says Lance. “What even makes you think that? I don’t even like...” Lance gestures to Keith. “Yuck. No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yuck?” repeats Keith. He catches Lance’s gaze and Lance feels the discomfort of holding Keith’s eye contact again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-what makes you think that?” asks Lance, looking back to Shiro.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro gestures to the mountain. “That’s how! The only way you two would have that kind of powerful appeal without being a couple is if you two both…” Lance’s heart is pounding really loudly and he doesn’t know why. “Nnnah-I don’t wanna get into this,” says Shiro, “Just take your places and stop being cute!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re not cute!” calls out Keith as Shiro walks off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get into what?” calls out Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow. You two are such wonderful dancers,” says Shay, approaching them, hand-in-hand with Hunk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really liked your moves,” says Nyma with a giggle, sliding up beside Lance. “Wanna go out dancing later?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, won’t your boyfriend mind?” asks Lance, because that sounded like an ask-out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, our relationship is open. Very open.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mine too,” says Lance, quickly, “So open it’s almost like it doesn’t exist at all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyma giggles. “You’re funny.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can we get the couples over here please?” calls out Shiro, directing them over to their next game that’s just been laid out by the crew. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance joins Keith by their personal game mat in the centre. Keith is frowning and doesn’t say anything to Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Something wrong?” asks Lance, but Keith just ignores him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Okay…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>******</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Welcome back to Light of my Life!” says Bob. “All our couples are doing wonderfully, yet somehow our Red couple is holding the lead. A mystery that will be keeping me up at night for my remaining years. Coran, why don’t you tell us what the next game is?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s time to play Interwiner!” announces Coran. “The way we play is -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, it’s Twister!” says Shay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, it’s not,” says Bob scooting in front of her. “Light of my Life is not sponsored by or in any way associated with the trademarked game Twister. Let’s get started! Coran, rotate that disc!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Starboard tootsie cobalt!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whaaaaat?” says Nyma.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right foot blue,” says Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bob shushes him. Nyma winks at Lance and smiles and Lance swoons. Ugh. Who uses a dating game show as an opportunity to flirt?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Okay, so maybe Keith doesn’t get to cast the first stone. That dance was… something. At the same time, Keith isn’t fooling himself. Lance is acting when he looks at him adoringly. But at least that’s what they’re supposed to be doing, without going overboard. So really, Keith is only fake jealous… Right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dude, your tootsie,” says Lance, getting Keith out of his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith and Lance step forward onto the ‘cobalt’ square on the clearly-a-ripoff-of-Twister-mat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Put your portside palm on amber,” announces Coran.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Left hand yellow,” says Lance, directing this at Nyma.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Legally we can’t say that,” says Bob, quickly. “Keith, cut their mics.” Bob slides his hand across his throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith can’t believe it. Does Bob really think he’s in that booth and not right by him onstage? That’s upsetting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fast forward five minutes and Lance is in a very compromising position with Keith. Keith’s planked over Lance who is in a reverse tabletop pose and their, er, bathing suit areas are touching. How is this a family game?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance is feeling just a little too into this and he’s hoping Keith doesn’t notice. Obviously the reason this is sexy is because Nyma who keeps shooting him flirty looks (and no other reason.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunk and Shay are the first to fall during the game, they collapse in a fit of giggles and cuddles. It’s such an adorable fail that it earns them a huge point boost from the audience. Wouldn’t it be something to have a love like that?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance’s watching them with his head flopped down. He lifts it up and finds himself face to face with Keith, noses almost touching.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come here often?” asks Lance. The pick up line just flies out of his mouth and suddenly, he has the wind knocked out of him... because Keith trips up and falls on top of Lance, knocking him down, and flattening him beneath him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith scurries all the way back off of him. Comically so, like touching Lance burns him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! And it looks like our purple team wins!” says Bob. “The, uh, the two whose names I’ve already forgotten. Let’s go to commercials!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No notes from Shiro for once, since they’d successfully lost. Next is the Invisible Maze challenge, then the Cats or Dogs challenge, then the Makeover challenge. Somehow Lance had forgotten this is the season finale episode meaning double in length. The challenges are endless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s a lot less fun now that Keith has clammed up. Seems his strategy for losing involves a lot of ignoring Lance or just communicating badly like when he let him walk into the wall inside the invisible maze. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At least whenever Keith is being cold, there’s Nyma to make flirty eyes with… Or maybe it’s when Nyma is making flirty eyes, that Keith gets cold. Lance’s hair is still wet from the Dunk Tank round and really feels like he’s on the verge of figuring something out when Bob’s voice breaks him out of his thoughts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How the mediocre have fallen. Keith and Lance are in last place while Hunk and Shay and the couple I don’t remember are in a tight race for first! We'll be right back!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And we’re clear!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So we’ve almost - ” says Lance, but he cuts himself off as Keith walks away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Trouble in paradise?” asks Rolo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No! Maybe… What’s it to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey now, why the hostility, man?” says Rolo, putting up his hands. “It’s all love.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s really not,” says Lance, annoyed. Is it?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The commercial break ends, but the camera’s aren’t back on. It’s the bio video portion of the show. Lance wanders backstage to go watch what Pidge spliced together last minute for his and Keith’s bio video. He didn’t think any positive footage of the two of them existed, but then there it is on TV, the time they sang karaoke together at last year’s christmas party.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance can’t help but notice that even though Keith doesn’t like to meet his gaze, he does look at Lance a certain way when his head is turned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance turns to see Keith rushing towards him, eyes all bright and lit up. The fact that he looks happy to see Lance, makes his heart thump in the most joyful way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance,” says Keith, grabbing his shoulders, “I just found out where the all expenses paid trip is to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>The Galápagos Islands!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Galápagos Islands?! With all the tortoises?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And sea lions!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And Boobies!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” gasps Keith. “Lance, it’s not a nudist resort.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Boobies are a kind of seabird. They're just fun to say. Heh. Boobies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen,” whispers Keith, “I know Shiro told us to not win the game but what if --”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We ignored that and went for the free trip to The Galápagos Islands,” says Lance, continuing Keith’s thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes! I mean… if you don’t mind going on a trip together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance tires to picture this. Sharing a hotel room with only one bed... spending their days at the beach... Keith in a bathing suit… his hair wet, much like it is right now... </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith tucks one of his wet strands behind his ear, looking at Lance shly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance clears his throat, gruffly. “Yeah, dude, the islands are big enough for the both of us. Whatever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay… Yeah, we can just do our own thing.” Keith sounds disappointed now. Why does Lance suddenly hate himself?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, we’re so behind on points,” says Lance. “How do we catch up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith smirks, then leans in real close. So close Lance can count the purple flecks in his grey eyes. Then, </span>
  <em>
    <span>BOOP!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Keith boops him on the nose and says, “By being completely adorable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance is on board.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>******</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Keith and the others are behind a partition when the video segment ends, but he can hear Bob speaking through the wood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So lovely to get to know these lovely couples,” says Bob when they cut back from the intro videos to the live feed. “Also, Keith and Lance. Actually, their couples video looked a little sloppy to me. Did it look sloppy to you, Coran?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought it looked fine, Bob.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Agree to disagree. Let’s get going with the very final round of Light of my Life! Welcome to the peak of the mountain!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The partition moves to show them on the most elaborate stage set of the production, a mountain with coloured, light-up spaces on a zigzagging ramp leading upwards. It’s always reminded Keith of the line to an amusement park right, with the railings keeping them from cutting ahead. Except instead of a rollercoaster, there’s a giant heart lamp at the end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Winning couple takes the game. The object is to move up the mountain -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It looks like Candyland,” says Nyma.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is not Candyland nor are we associated with that trademarked game. As I was saying, each of our couples is starting along the mountain side in relation to how many points they’ve already accumulated. Hunk and Shay are most of the way up because they’re our leaders. Couple-I-forget is only a few spaces behind them. And the forgetful, clumsy, dum-dums are at the bottom with the least points. In order to move forward, our couples will have to correctly answer trivia questions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like Trivial Pursuit?” asks Nyma.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith, cut her mic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not - ugh!” groans Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There, there, baby,” says Lance, rubbing Keith’s shoulders. He instinctively tenses up, then remembers it’s Lance and this is deliberate. He relaxes into it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Awwwww!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The square in front of them lights up blue to indicate they just won a point and can advance one square.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Points for a correct answer or audience approval let the couple advance. First pair to the top who pull the chains in sync to light the Heart Lamp, wins the game! Coran, tell them what they’ll win!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The winning couple of Light of my Life will win an all expenses paid trip to The Galápagos Islands!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh gosh, Hunky!” squeaks Shay. “We could go see the tortoises!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s get to our first question,” says Bob, pulling out a stack of cue cards. “What is the third letter of the Greek alphabet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith has their buzzer and he hits it, assuming they’ll figure out the answer after they’ve been called on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Red team,” says Bob, then he mutters, “this should be amusing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile Lance is whispering to himself, “Alpha… beta…” Very loudly and confidently he says, “Omega!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wrong answer buzzer sounds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The beautiful dum-dum gets our first question wrong,” says Bob.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The only thing he has right is how beautiful Lance is.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, baby,” says Keith, taking Lance’s arms and wrapping them around himself. (Oh! Muscular…) “You’ll get the next one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Awwww!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The square in front of them lights up so they step up together, never breaking their snuggle. Keith and Bob’s eyes meet. Bob scowls at him. He knows exactly what they’re doing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is the name of the egg-hatching elephant in a Dr. Seuss’s children’s book?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The buzzers sound, but no one is faster than Keith and Bob has no power over who gets to answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Red?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Horton,” says Lance. “It’s from the book Horton Hears a Who.” Then he twists and says, “You were right, baby. I did get the next one!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who invented the bass?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leo Fender!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who was America’s first billionaire?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“John D. Rockefeller!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance is kind of a trivia genius? Keith is amazed and, honestly, extremely attracted to him. It’s a shame to admit that he used to be of Bob’s same opinion, of Lance being a beautiful dum-dum and his attraction was very base level. This game is showing Keith a whole new side of Lance including his love for his family, his incredible dancing skills, and how cuddly he is, because, while Lance is busy killing it at trivia, Keith is focusing on being super affectionate to win them the audience approval points.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the risk of sounding arrogant, the audience is loving them. They look good together and Keith is loving that attention. They are even out-cuting Hunk and Shay who are the cutest couple Keith has ever seen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With every correct answer, Keith does notice Bob getting more and more frustrated and every time Keith and Lance move up a square, his eyes narrow a little more. They make it to the square behind Nyma and Rolo. Hunk and Shay are only a couple squares ahead of them. A few more right answers and they’re going to take the lead!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is the main ingredient in rosti?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith buzzes in, but Lance hesitates. “Uhhh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wrong answer buzzer goes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, sorry. You took too long to answer.” Another buzzer goes. “Hunk and Shay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The main ingredient in rosti is potatoes!” says Shay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is correct!” says Bob, delighted that the lead couple is going to move up a square.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Babe, I’m so sorry,” says Lance, nuzzling against Keith’s neck. It sends a shiver down Keith’s spine that is very much welcome. “I’m usually good at cooking questions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” says Keith, twisting his head back. “I still love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wait…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wait…..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wait……..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That kinda just slipped out. That’s not how Keith really feels… right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance raises up his head. His cheeks are bright red. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s the sound of more squares lighting up, the audience rewarding them for their affection, but Keith can’t seem to get himself to care about the game. Not when Lance’s lips are so close. He can’t keep pretending he’s leaning in only because he’s trying to convince everyone they’re a couple. Frankly, he doesn’t care about the motivation anymore, he just wants to taste Lance’s lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw fuck it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The spell is broken by the sound of Bob swearing on live TV followed by the audience’s shocked gasp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith turns to see Bob’s trivia question cards are scattered on the ground, either because he dropped them or threw them down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s it, I’m fucking done,” swears Bob, then he scoots right off the stage, abandoning the live broadcast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith looks to the cameras to see if they’ve cut to commercial, but they’re still rolling and Shiro is staring like he can’t believe what just happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, um, well,” sputters Coran, standing up. “Hold on folks, the game will continue.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are we doing?” asks Shay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s when Keith remembers the squares that had lit up for both of them. They should take their spot further along. But when he goes to step forward, Rolo throws out his arms, blocking them from advancing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let us past,” says Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think so, bro,” says Rolo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened to ‘it’s all love?’” asks Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess it’s not, bro,” says Rolo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, uh, the rules of the game state that the first two that make it to the top and light the heart lamp win,” says Coran, “so I suppose, um… on your marks, get set, go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All the contestants stay still, in collective confusion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said go! Go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*******</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s a fucking race!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shay and Hunk are the farthest up and can make it there first if they’re not out paced, which should be easy for them since Rolo is blocking Keith and Lance from advancing. Lance has half a mind to punch him, but he’s still kinda dazed from whatever was about to happen with Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance, c’mon!” says Keith, tugging on Lance’s arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of trying to get past Rolo, Keith climbs up on the edge of the rail and starts parkouring his way up the mountain. It’s exactly like he’d climbed over the audience seats, with the grace of a cat. Anything Keith can do, Lance can do better! Well, not better… but he can scramble to keep up, cutting straight across the winding path, making a b-line for that lamp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunk and Shay were hustling along the path the honest way, but when Rolo and Nyma saw what Keith and Lance were up to, they barrelled past Shay and Hunk, then started climbing over rails to chase after them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance was just about to drop down off the last rail to the platform that had the pull strings to light the heart lamp when he felt someone grab at the back of his shirt. He lost balance and fell backwards. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” shouts Keith, leaping back over the rail to tackle Rolo. “Lance, go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Land climbs back over the rail. Maybe he can tug both chains to light the heart lamp by himself. He stands in the middle, stretches out his arms wide and… nope! Nowhere close to reaching both.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance, let me help you!” But it’s not Keith who says this, it’s Nyma. She’s trying to climb the rail, but Rolo and Keith are in a shoving match beside her and she keeps losing her balance. “Help me over and we’ll win the trip together!” she says, urgently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But we’re not…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The rules just say a couple,” says she. “We can be a couple together, right?” Keith knocks into her and stumbles then regains her footing. “You and me, on a beach. I pack my bikini or maybe I forget to, if you know what I’m saying.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance gets it. So instead of him and Keith seeing Boobies, it’s him seeing Nyma’s boobies. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve made my choice!” says Lance, bolding. “I want to see Boobies!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyma, smiles and reaches out her hands. Lance ignores her and grabs Keith’s arm. “C’mon!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith grabs hold and lets Lance pull him over the rail as he kicks at Rolo. Once he’s over they both split to opposite chains. Their eyes meet as the tug and the giant heart lamp lights up above them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ow. Okay, being this close when it’s lit hurts the eyes. But then he hears the show’s music playing as Coran announces, “We have our winning couple! Keith and Lance!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance knocks into Keith as they hug each other. “We did it! We’re going to the Galápagos Islands!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>**********</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“You are not going to the Galápagos Islands,” says Allura, once the show has ended and the crew has gathered onstage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you both, you can’t win the trip,” says Shiro.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And we both decided,” says Lance, gesturing between him and Keith, “that we were going to ignore that direction because we need a vacay for shay-shay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never agreed to word it that way,” says Keith, “but everything else is true.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never meant I didn’t want you to win,” says Shiro, “I literally meant you can’t win.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Employees of the Network are ineligible for winning prizes,” says Allura. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You gotta be fucking kidding me,” grumbles Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who came up with that rule?” shouts Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fairly standard,” says Allura. “Unfortunately, there will be no prize-winner this episode. It was quite the eventful one and for what it’s worth, I very much enjoyed subbing inside the crew. I loved Light of my Life as a child. I’m glad I got a chance to work on it before it was cancelled.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a collective gasp and chatter amongst the crew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cancelled?” asks Shiro. “When are we getting cancelled?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, as of now,” says Allura, “which is what I’m telling you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You just said you love this show!” says Pidge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I loved it when I was a kid,” says Allura, “but the Network is starting its own streaming service and, since Light of my Life is a live recorded show and not bingeable, we’ve decided to put this fifty year old dinosaur to rest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s bullshit!” says Pidge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This show is an institution,” says Matt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Except it’s on at one in the afternoon and the only people watching it are kids home sick from school, breastfeeding mothers, and hospital waiting rooms. You can’t even fill your live audience anymore,” says Allura, gesturing to the seats. “The back three rows are just cardboard cutouts. Then there’s Bob! How do I say this delicately? His old age has made him sadistic and he just stormed off in the middle of a live broadcast! Plus the show is no longer financially viable. The only money it brings in is from the voting texts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We probably brought in a lot of money today,” says Lance, hopeful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You brought in $43, which will go to the ongoing lawsuit with Twister.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s silence amongst the crew. They all look to Shiro for some kind of defense of their jobs. Shiro clears his throat and says, “Be that as it may, these are our jobs we’re talking about.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I am sorry for that. All I can say is, if I hadn’t worked on a few shows that had gotten cancelled, I never would’ve applied for different jobs and worked my way up to a Network head,” she looks to Pidge as she says this. “This might be an opportunity to become an actor,” says Allura, gesturing to Lance, “Or to go back to school to learn television productions,” she gestures to Romelle, then turns to look at Keith, “or… actually, I don’t know what Keith would want to do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Neither does Keith,” jokes Lance, but it falls flat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>******</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Everything on the set is shut down, possibly forever. Every light is off except for the giant heart lamp, where Lance sits below. He feels the vibration through the mountain structure as someone climbs up to join him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” says Keith, when he reaches the top. He drops to sit cross legged on the platform with Lance. “I convinced Allura to give the trip to Hunk and Shay. They were the closest to winning it the honest way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s good at least,” sighs Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing up here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you know, just freaking out about my future,” says Lance, feeling a ramble come on. “One minute I had a job and a vacation to look forward to and maybe something happening with someone, next… Poof. Nothing.” He shakes his head at how pathetic it is he thought he had any of that secured. “What about  you? What are you going to do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, actually,” says Keith, shifting nervously. “I have an appointment with Allura on Monday morning to pitch a show idea for the new streaming service.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow!” says Lance. “What are you going to pitch?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have no idea, but I figure I have the weekend to come up with something.” He falls quiet for a moment then says, “And if you’re serious about acting and get that SAG card, maybe --”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could star?” asks Lance, brightening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or just have a minor role, we would probably go with a bigger name for the lead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A bigger name for the show you don’t have an idea for yet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith laughs. It’s warm and genuine and suddenly Lance thinks everything is going to be okay. “We’ll see about starring. You are a good actor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So are you,” says Lance. “I mean on the show you… um…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith meets his eye and really holds it for once. “I wasn’t acting.” He clears his throat but doesn’t look away. “You, however, had me believing you actually maybe, uh…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance doesn’t overthink it. He leans in and captures Keith’s lips in a kiss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a moment, Keith pulls back and says, “So I was the someone? Not Nyma?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith,” says Lance, shaking his head. “Boobies before boobies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you saying the same word twice?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance laughs, his voice echoing through the empty studio. “This reminds me, I need to cancel my dancing with Nyma.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith scowls then pull Lance by the shirt back in towards him and kisses him again. And this time he doesn’t need an audience’s approval to know they’re adorable.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Trivia questions are from www.randomtriviagenerator.com</p><p>Thanks for reading! Find my socials on <a href="https://linktr.ee/ChillyBang">linktr.ee</a> </p><p>BBBKxoxox</p></blockquote></div></div>
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